How To Get a Product Management Job at Facebook

In 2018, Facebook stole the number one spot of Glassdoor’s list of “best places to work.” Its outstanding workplace reputation, vision and values, and of course employee benefits, make Facebook one of the most coveted places to work. It’s no wonder that it is also one of the most competitive places to land a job. Facebook has its eye out for a certain type of person that can fit in with the company culture, share its core values and will be dedicated to “bringing the world closer together.”

So how can you snatch yourself one of these positions in over 60 locations worldwide and become Facebook’s next employee?

Here’s how to get a product management job at Facebook and stand out from the other candidates in this highly competitive tech industry.

Skills needed at Facebook

Previous experience: You need to be able to demonstrate that you have proven product management experience. Depending on which role you are going for (Product Manager of Advanced Networking planning, Product Manager of Network Insights, to name a few), you may need anywhere from 3 to 5 years of experience in a similar role. For some Product Management roles, they ask for more than 10 years of experience. Being that Facebook is such a large company, there are numerous Product Management roles, each with their specific requirements. Have a look at Facebook’s product management job postings to get a better idea of the different product management roles offered.

Qualifications: Apart from experience, there is a minimum qualification to become Facebook’s next PM, and it varies greatly depending on the position. For some Product Management roles, you need to hold a bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline like Computer Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. However, for other Product Management positions, it isn’t exactly necessary as long as you have the right amount of relevant experience.

Technical Background: Of course holding a bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline helps, but candidates are sometimes asked to have a specific technical background as well. Depending on the Product Management position, you could be asked to have experience in technical architecture of web applications and media products, designing user interfaces, or experience creating examples through wireframes and mockups.

Core Values: Fitting in with company culture and attitude is a big deal for Facebook, and they want to make sure that you have what it takes on a personal level. When selecting candidates, Facebook looks for people who are bold, focused on impact, fast, open and looking to build social value. It’s important to demonstrate that you are ready to make bold decisions quickly for the right reason and motivations. Read more about the Facebook’s core values here.

Additionally, Facebook looks for talented people who are considered to be builders, have diverse backgrounds, and fit into the culture. Business Insider goes into detail here.

The interview process

The number of interviews all depends on the person and the position in which they are applying for. According to an interview with Miranda Kalinowski, Facebook’s global head of recruiting, a candidate typically goes through four to five interviews before being hired, and the whole process can take about three months. All potential Facebook hires go through the same first three interviews. The following interviews depend on the position that you are applying for.

A typical interview process will look something like this:

The first interview is a phone interview with a recruiter whose aim is to determine if the candidate has the appropriate professional experience and drive to work at Facebook.

The second interview is another phone interview, but this time it is more technical. The interview is held by a Facebook employee that currently has the position the candidate is applying for. So, at this stage of a Product Management interview, you will be interviewed by a Product Manager.

The third interview is when the candidate is invited onsite to partake in a series of interviews. While onsite, the interviewee takes a tour of the office and then has multiple interviews with different panels.

Interview questions at Facebook

Facebook has a very extensive interview process, so it’s no surprise that you will be presented with challenging questions. These usually include hypothetical questions and logic questions to gauge how the candidate thinks. The questions will test if you have what it takes to create innovative products (product sense), make critical decisions (execution), and if you have the leadership and drive to thrive at Facebook (leadership).

Some example questions:

Product sense:

As a PM on the Facebook Birthdays team, how would you make it better?

What do you dislike about a Facebook feature of your choice?

How would you improve the Facebook News Feed?

How would you design Facebook Events 2.0?

Execution

We’ve outsourced a critical mobile app to a third-party developer. How do we decide when to take that development in-house?

How would you decide between showing more ads on the Facebook News Feed vs. showing a People You May Know recommendation widget?

Leadership

Tell me a time when you disagreed with an engineer. How did you convince him or her?

What’s your favorite project where you played a leadership role?

You can go through a number of channels to get your application to Facebook: